


Seek the Mate!

by emeraux



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Fluff, Humor, It gets really cheesy too, M/M, Miwa appears briefly, also they may be slightly out of character for the purpose of humor I'm sorry, this is set post legion mate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-19 21:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9460856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraux/pseuds/emeraux
Summary: Ren's expression turned smug. "Kai, you know, I've been thinking about everything you did for Aichi that time, and I just couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe-""What are you playing at, Ren.""-That your feelings for Aichi are a little more than just that of platonic mates?"(Kai had everything under control, comfortably wrapped up under layer after layer of denial, until Ren had to open his big mouth and now Kai couldn't stop thinking about what he said.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Huzzah for super creative fic titles

If there was anything Kai Toshiki enjoyed almost as much as a (challenging enough to make your blood boil) Vanguard fight, it was the afternoon nap.

Kai had, on numerous occasions, been informed of how strange he was for napping on his- yes, his- bench at the park all the time, but Kai couldn't care less; It was better than staying cooped up in his apartment all day, even if he was at constant risk of having his nap interrupted.

"Kai~!"

...Speak of the devil.

"Kai!"

Kai crooked an eye open to glare at the offending owner of the voice.

"Let's fight!" Ren demanded, waving his deck holder an inch from Kai's face.

With a sigh, Kai sat up. "Why are you here?"

"I was bored," Ren explained, twirling his deck playfully in his hand. "And I just happened to find you sleeping here during my walk."

Kai, finally shaking off the last vestiges of drowsiness, noticed that Ren was, uncharacteristically, alone. "Testu and Asaka aren't with you?"

Ren chuckled. "Not this time." He said, sounding more than slightly conspiratorial.

Suspicious. Still, Kai just couldn't bring himself to say no to a fight with Ren. He would play along, at least for the time being.

Ren led Kai to the open-air fight table at the other end of the park before pulling out his cards. "Ready, Kai?"

Kai brought out his own deck and placed his chosen unit facedown on the vanguard circle.

"Stand up, the Vanguard!"

"Lizard hero, Undeux!"

"Frontline Revenger, Claudas! And I'll be having the first turn," Ren decided cheerily. He hummed as he lazily picked through the cards in his hands, clearly deliberately stalling for time to talk. "So, what have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing much." Kai replied dismissively, making a mental note of which grade 1 unit Ren chose to ride.

"Is that so?" Ren said in a contemplative tone. "It seems you've been going to that card shop a lot recently, though. Turn end."

"Ride. And call!" Kai said, positioning his units on the table. "With a boost from Gojo, Tahr attacks! Also, how did you even know that?"

"No guard," Ren announced, turning over a card from his deck- no trigger- and chuckled. "I have my sources."

Kai really didn't want to know. "My rear guard Tahr attacks!"

Ren placed another card into his damage zone- that made two damage so far. "How's Aichi?"

"He's fine." Kai replied after a beat. Kai wasn't sure why Ren was suddenly asking, but if Ren really wanted to know how Aichi was doing, he could go find out himself. Kai would rather Ren concentrate on their fight rather than engage in unnecessary small talk. "Turn end."

"Stand and draw. And I'll ride Blaster Dark!" Ren said, placing the card in the vanguard circle with a flourish. "Then that's fine."

With that, the fight blessedly went on without further conversation for a good while, as Ren seemed to finally get into the fight, and Kai was glad to be able to enjoy it without further distractions.

Until, that was, Ren decided to reveal his true motive for visiting Kai.

"Seek the mate!" Kai exclaimed, placing his hand over his vanguard unit. "Appear, Perdition Dragon, Dragonic Neoflame! Legion!"

Ren hummed to himself as he watched Kai set up his Legion. "'Seek mate', hm? Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

It did, now that he mentioned it, but why bother bringing this up? Legion was common practice among fighters at this point; it wasn't as if Kai started thinking about the whole Link Joker Seed ordeal every time he saw a Legion being used.

Ren's eyes flickered up to meet Kai's. "When I asked you what Aichi meant to you once, you said he was your mate."

"He is." Kai confirmed absently, sending his legion to attack Ren's rear guard Blaster Dark.

"Perfect guard," Ren announced smugly, placing the unit squarely in the guard zone. The fight was starting to get interesting. "But when you say 'mate', Kai, do you mean mate or _mate_?"

Kai's hand froze over one of his rear guards. "What are you talking about."

Ren laughed lightheartedly with false innocence. "Come on, Kai. Someone as well-travelled as you surely knows your English well enough to know that 'mate' has a dual meani-"

"I know that." Kai cut in sharply, forcefully placing his cards facedown on the table. "What are you getting at."

Ren's expression turned smug. "Kai, you know, I've been thinking about everything you did for Aichi that time, and I just couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe-"

"What are you playing at, Ren."

"-That your feelings for Aichi are a little more than just that of platonic mates?"

Kai stared.

"...I'm going home." Kai decided aloud. He smoothly gathered all his cards and placed them back into his deck holder before brisk walking away from the fight table. At the very least, Ren didn't seem intent on going after him, but knowing Ren-

"As I suspected, it's _mate_  isn't it, Kai!" Ren called out in a singsong voice.

No. No it wasn't. He and Aichi were definitively _not_ like that. The very thought was preposterous. They were friends. Mates. And Kai had never even once had any particular thoughts of being _romantic_  with Aichi whatsoever-

"Are you _sure_?" Ren's receding voice sang out, and sometimes Kai really hated how he and Ren had such a good grasp on each other's thoughts because Suzugamori Ren was the biggest pain in the neck Kai had ever had the misfortune to be friends with.

So when Kai finally got himself out of earshot of Ren, he thought this whole ordeal with _mates_ and Aichi and Ren would be over.

He was very, very wrong.

\---

Kai walked into Card Capital the next day with bags under his eyes.

"Hey, Ka- woah! What happened to you?!" Miwa yelled from behind the computer at the store counter.

Kai shut his eyes in an attempt to will his impending headache away. "Noisy."

Miwa laughed. "Sorry, sorry!" He said, not sounding sorry at all. "I'll keep it down from here on- wai- hey! Sub-manager! Don't do that! The inventory-"

Kai sighed as he watched Miwa loudly struggle to restrain Sub-manager from pawing further at the keyboard. He didn't have the energy for this.

"Good afternoon, Kai-kun!"

Upon hearing Aichi's voice, Kai almost flinched. One would think Kai would be less woefully unprepared to come face-to-face with the subject of his psychological suffering for the past 24 hours- wait, he needed to respond- "Yo, Aichi." He replied, in what he hoped was a casual tone.

Aichi, who had somehow managed to walk up to Kai without him noticing, gave him an odd look. "Kai-kun, are you okay? You look tired."

Aichi's concern, though rightfully unsurprising and basically routine at this point, made Kai's already sluggish brain suddenly grind to a halt.

"Kai-kun?" Aichi said with a slight tilt of his head, which definitely did not affect Kai in any way similar to how a million kittens would a lesser man.

Curse Suzugamori Ren and his stupid mouth and stupid sleep-depriving words. Kai had everything under control, comfortably wrapped up under layer after layer of denial, until Ren had to open his big mouth and now Kai couldn't stop thinking about what he said. "I'm fine." Kai insisted after regaining his voice.

Aichi didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? Maybe you should go home and get some rest."

Kai couldn't. Because he was there on a mission.

"Aichi," Kai said and affixed Aichi with his gaze. "Fight me."

"Eh?" Aichi jumped a little at Kai's sudden request and it _wasn't cute_ \- "O-okay," Aichi said hesitantly. He looked like he wanted to say more, probably more than a little confused by Kai's unusually spontaneous determination, but seemed to think better of it.

Aichi followed Kai to one of the unoccupied standing fight tables and set his cards on it, all the while repeatedly sending tentative, worried glances to Kai.

Definitely not cute.

Definitely.

That wasn't the point.

The point was, Kai was going to have a normal fight with his normal best friend and have normal feelings of normal rivalry and normal friendship and prove to himself (and Ren) that Aichi was a normal mate and not- not a-

"Kai-kun, it's your turn," Aichi said, politely drawing Kai's attention back to the game, and almost causing him to jump.

"Yeah. Sorry." Kai took a deep breath to calm his mind. A normal fight. Normal. "Stand and draw."

"Are you really sure you're okay, Kai-kun?" Aichi pressed, gently putting his cards down.

No, he wasn't but, "I'm fine." Kai said instead. In fact, Aichi was probably unintentionally making it worse because Aichi's genuine, honest, endearing concern for Kai was starting to _eat into his mind_.

Aichi's _entire existence_ was eating into Kai's mind.

That was. Not normal.

This was all Ren's fault-

Kai felt something soft come into contact with his forehead and he almost jumped out of his skin because Aichi had just reached over the fight table and _placed the back of his hand on Kai's forehead_ -

"You don't seem to have a fever," Aichi commented absently, brows furrowed in contemplation, seemingly completely unaware of how this was affecting Kai. After a few rapid beats of Kai's traitorous heart, Aichi, in what appeared to be a moment of realization, immediately turned red and hastily withdrew his hand, gripping it tightly with his other. "I-I'm sorry- I was just- just worried that-"

"It's fine," Kai choked out the moment he found his voice. He vaguely registered that his breathing had turned irregular. "Don't apologize."

Aichi looked like he didn't even hear him. "I-I just did that without thinking- I really shouldn't have just-"

Kai was starting to feel his face heat up dangerously. He- he had to leave before Aichi noticed-

"You were right, Aichi," Kai blurted. "I really should go home and rest. I'm. Really tired after all. See you tomorrow."

Kai swept up his cards and was out of Card Capital before anyone could stop him.

Once Kai was safely back at his apartment, he sat heavily on his bed and placed his head in his hands with a groan.

That was the _least_  normal fight he'd ever had with _anyone._

\---

Kai chose not to go to Card Capital the next day.

He laid still on his bench at the park, staring unseeingly at the clouds above him. He'd spent the morning fighting every fighter outside of Card Capital that he could get his metaphorical hands on in an attempt to clear his thoughts, as fights usually did for him.

To his dismay, Kai won every single one of those matches without managing to quell his churning mind to any effect. Perhaps the opponents simply weren't strong enough, if he could still beat them so easily despite the state of disarray he was in.

Kai shut his eyes. At the very least, he could try to get a single, brief moment of peace-

"Kai-kun!"

Kai's heart resolutely did not jump to his throat.

"Ah-" Aichi said, voice now much closer, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you-"

"You didn't," Kai said, voice kept forcibly calm as he sat up.

"I-I see." Aichi replied, sounding unconvinced- he never was any good at hiding his emotions- and Kai, despite avoiding Aichi's gaze, could see Aichi wringing his hands from the corner of his eye. It wasn't adorable. It _absolutely wasn't_. "Kai-kun, are you feeling better today?

No. "Yeah. Did you need something?" Kai asked and then immediately cursed himself for reflexively using such dismissive words.

Fortunately, Aichi didn't seem to mind it. He shook his head and answered, "Not really. I was just worried since you were acting a little strangely yesterday. So I came to see if you were okay."

Aichi was. Looking for him. To check on him. Was thinking of him. Kai didn't- he wasn't-

"I'm sorry about yesterday," Aichi suddenly blurted in a rush of words. "I really did something I shouldn't have and- I'm sorry."

What? Was he still hung up over that? ...Though Kai wasn't really one to talk. "You didn't do anything wrong." Kai assured, and at Aichi's still worried expression, added, "it's really fine."

At this, Aichi finally seemed to relax. Kai could never understand how Aichi still lacked so much confidence in himself on a day-to-day basis despite being as strong as Kai knew he was. Aichi really only showed his true confidence when it came to Vanguard, and Kai caught himself wishing he could change that.

"Kai-kun, if you're feeling better, would you like to go to Card Capital?" Aichi asked tentatively. "To finish that fight from yesterday?"

Kai couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. "Sure." He agreed, without thinking. Kai felt weirdly at ease suddenly, and was probably too sleep-deprived to realize what he was getting into by going along, being as tired and confused as he was. Still, the look of unadulterated joy on Aichi's face made it completely worth it.

That was, until they got to the shop itself, because the devil himself had chosen to appear.

"Welcome! Aichi, and Kai!" Said the demon innocently upon their entering, and Kai almost turned tail and left then and there.

"Good afternoon, Ren-san!" Aichi replied politely.

"...Ren." Kai said lowly, glaring hard at the intruder.

"Nice to see you too, Kai," Ren replied, with just enough sarcasm for Kai to bristle but for the jab to go over Aichi's head.

Judging by that distinctive orange apron Ren was wearing, it seemed that the Manager was short enough on hands that he had resorted to hiring Ren again.

That or Ren randomly decided to come and torture Kai, which wouldn't be surprising in the least.

"Let's go, Aichi." Kai said, leading Aichi to one of the fight tables in the back.

Aichi admittedly looked rather surprised by Kai's unusually hostile reaction to Ren, but at this point Kai only cared about getting Aichi as far away from Ren as he could, and if leaving the store was too conspicuous, he would just have to take the table furthest away from Ren.

Kai deliberately took the seat that faced the front of the store where Ren was, ensuring that Ren wouldn't get any chance of sending any weird subliminal messages to Aichi or something.

If Ren so much as breathed a word about what he said to Kai that day at the park to Aichi, Kai was going to gut him. With Vanguard.

Aichi slowly took his seat- the one facing Kai and _not_  Ren's general direction- and asked, "Is- is something wrong, Kai-kun?"

Right. It was kind of strange for Kai to choose one of the regular fight tables as opposed to the standing ones, wasn't it?

Kai gave Aichi a small, if slightly strained, smile. "I'm still a little tired, so I'd rather use this table." Kai explained. It wasn't a complete lie.

Aichi nodded. "I see." He seemed to mostly believe Kai this time, at least.

As Kai was shuffling his deck, Ren caught his eye and began sending Kai smug, knowing looks. In response, Kai did his best to communicate, with just his eyes, how he was going to _murder_  Ren if he said anything to Aichi.

Ren, seemingly oblivious to the murderous signals Kai was sending him, just increased the degree of blatant disregard he had for Kai's tenuous sanity by making a heart shape with his hands and waving it at their general direction.

If Aichi wasn't here with him Kai would've gone over right that instant and given Ren the greatest Vanguard beating of his life-

"Kai-kun, are you ready to start?" Aichi asked, startling Kai out of his bloodthirsty thoughts. Aichi, judging by the look of concern on his face, was well aware that Kai's mind had wandered from their fight again.

"Yeah." Kai placed his first unit on the vanguard circle and willed himself to trust in whatever semblance of tact Ren possessed in himself to keep his big mouth shut and his hands to himself.

Which, as it turned out, was completely impossible because Ren kept sending Kai weird looks and making even weirder gestures and seriously, didn't Ren have any actual _work_ to do-

"With a boost from Flogal, Blaster Blade attacks Nehalem!"

Kai blinked. "No guard." He said after giving the field a glance over. It was taking every ounce of energy Kai had to concentrate on the fight while keeping his sanity intact from all of Ren's antics because if Aichi so much as turned around it would all be over and Kai was in imminent danger of spontaneously combusting.

"Drive trigger check," Aichi said, turning over a card from his deck as Ren started making motions similar to what someone would do if they were trying to ineffectually put out a very large fire with just their hands and honestly what was that even supposed to mean?! "Critical trigger! I'll give the critical to Blaster Blade, and the power to Gordon."

The fight. Kai had to focus, or Aichi was going to wipe the floor with him, or worse, realize that Kai wasn't actually paying attention. "Check the damage trigger," Kai said, turning over two cards in succession from his deck and placing them in the damage zone. He was already at four damage. Aichi was at two.

"Marron boosts and Gordon attacks!" Aichi announced, swiftly turning his units to resting position.

"Intercept!" Kai pushed Aleph from its rear guard position to the guard circle, before placing it into the drop zone. At the corner of Kai's eye, he could see the red, white and orange blur that was Ren making its way closer to their table.

Kai's eyes snapped up to Ren, who was already halfway across the shop and in a ridiculous posture that Ren probably imagined made him sneaky (it didn't). Ren froze, before not-so-smoothly sliding over to the standing fight table to his right and abruptly starting some conversation with the middle-schoolers there.

"Turn end." Aichi said, giving Kai a worried, contemplative look. His gaze followed Kai's line of sight and before Kai could even consider stopping him, Aichi turned around to see Ren jovially giving advice to a few fighters. Kai breathed a silent sigh of relief. If Aichi had turned to look just seconds earlier, he would have caught sight of Ren doing something far, far more conspicuous.

"Stand and draw." Kai said, attempting to divert Aichi's attention away from Ren before he started doing anything strange again. "Purgatory Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord the Great! Ride the Vanguard!"

Kai's eyes flicked up to check on Ren's status again- who was mercifully still chatting innocently with the middle-schoolers- before activating his Legion and attacking Aichi's rear-guard.

Aichi, inexplicably, remained silent. Kai looked up from his units, confused, to see Aichi staring at him with wide, uncertain, hurt-filled eyes that made Kai's blood run cold. "Aichi? What- Is somethi-"

"K-Kai-kun," Aichi stammered, clumsily gathering his cards from the table with trembling hands. "I'm sorry, I have to go- I just remembered that I- I have something I need to do and-"

"Aichi?" Kai didn't understand- Aichi was completely fine just a second ago and he hadn't even seen Ren doing anything weird so what could've just happened to-

"S-See you, Kai-kun." Aichi stood up with a clatter as he pushed away from his chair.

"Wait- Aichi! What-"

Aichi was out the door before Kai had the chance to stop him, leaving Kai behind in the store, standing in complete bewilderment.

What... just happened?

"Kai! What are you doing just standing there!" Ren suddenly yelled into Kai's ear as he began forcefully shoving Kai out the door. "I'll take care of your deck for you, so just go!"

"What-"

"Just go!" Ren ordered, delivering one last powerful shove to Kai's back and sending him careening out onto the sidewalk.

Kai honestly hadn't any idea what was going on, but before he knew it, his feet were already moving on instinct.

By the time he caught up to Aichi, who was crouching in front of the pond at the park, Kai still hadn't managed to compute an ounce of what was happening. He had no idea what he was supposed to say or do.

But.

Seeing Aichi, dejectedly hunched over himself as he faced the pond, just like he always did when he was upset or troubled, made Kai step forward before he could stop himself.

He took a few tentative steps towards Aichi, stopping to stand at the exact spot he did once in what felt like a lifetime ago; in that strategic location where Kai knew Aichi could clearly see his reflection in the water.

Kai knew the precise moment when Aichi noticed his presence, signaled by a telling jolt and an audible sharp intake of breath. Kai carefully avoided meeting Aichi's gaze through his reflection.

"Aichi." Kai waited for a response. When none came, he asked, as gently as he was able, "What's wrong?"

A few long seconds passed before Aichi finally spoke. "Nothing's wrong," he answered, voice hoarse.

That was a lie. That much was obvious. But at the same time, Kai wasn't sure how to respond to this without upsetting Aichi further.

In the silence that followed, Kai wracked his brain for the right thing to say, keeping his eyes leveled towards one of many similarly uninteresting trees on his right.

"Uhm, c-congratulations, Kai-kun." Aichi suddenly said in a small voice.

"What." Kai said reflexively. "What do you mean."

Aichi shifted uncomfortably. "Since you're- you know, d-dating someone you like, right?"

"Who." Kai replied on automatic, because this was information new to him when it really, really shouldn't and couldn't be.

Aichi kept painfully silent for the next few seconds that were probably the longest in Kai's life, before admitting through poorly disguised sniffles that sent pangs through Kai's heart, "Ren-san, right?"

What.

"Impossible." Kai blurted. "No."

"Huh?"

"What made you think I like Suzugamori Ren of all people." Kai deadpanned, feeling thoroughly, completely and utterly scandalized. "When it was _that bastard_  who was tormenting me about liking yo-"

Kai's heart stopped.

"Eh?" Aichi squeaked.

"I." Kai turned on his heel. "I have to go. Right now. I left- I left some lobsters roasting in the oven and I have to go get them before they burn-"

"Wait! Kai-kun!" Aichi called out from somewhere behind Kai.

Kai broke into a run. Was there anyone he knew who could erase memories? Maybe if willed himself hard enough he would develop Psyqualia and he could ask Blaster Blade to help him manipulate those cursed ten seconds of Aichi's memories-

"Kai-kun! I like you too!" Aichi yelled, slicing through Kai's thoughts.

Kai stopped in his tracks.

His ears started to heat up.

He must be dreaming.

He was still napping on the bench because this couldn't possible be real.

"Kai-kun," Aichi said, suddenly in front of Kai, and Aichi must have teleported because Kai didn't register him getting there at all so Kai must definitely still be asleep-

"Kai-kun." Aichi pressed. He was starting to look worried.

"Do you really mean it?" Kai asked, voice coming out softer than he was expecting.

Aichi smiled shyly. "Yes. I do." He admitted, glancing down at his feet. "I didn't think you'd feel the same way."

"I do." Kai confirmed, the words rolling off his tongue with more ease than he thought was possible. Now that he knew Aichi's feelings for him, Kai felt strangely calm and confident. "I like you."

Aichi immediately turned pink, and Kai couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him. Kai inched a little closer. "I like you, Aichi," he said again, testing the new words, and realizing he liked them.

Aichi's hands flew up to cover his reddening face. "Kai-kun!" He wailed helplessly.

"I like you," Kai teased, thoroughly enjoying the incredibly adorable reaction he was getting out of Aichi. He leaned in a little closer. "Aichi."

Aichi didn't protest as Kai removed his hands from his face, or when Kai held Aichi's hands gently in his.

Aichi leaned in and rested his forehead on Kai's, and if Kai ever thought he couldn't be happier than when he was just Vanguard fighting with Aichi, he was a fool.

"Do you still need to check on those lobsters?" Aichi asked innocently, and Kai felt his face heat up.

"The lobsters can wait." Kai answered adamantly. "Until I've taken you out somewhere."

To Kai's amusement, Aichi turned even redder than he already was. "Where?"

"Card Capital." Kai deadpanned.

Aichi immediately burst into laughter and it was bright and wonderful and it was like music to Kai's ears.

"Coffee?" Aichi asked tentatively once he'd stopped laughing.

"Coffee." Kai agreed, pulling away, but making sure to keep one of Aichi's hands in his. "And then we're going back to Card Capital for collection."

"Collection?" Aichi echoed, brows furrowed in confusion.

"My deck." Kai explained. "And Suzugamori Ren's head on a stick."

\---

Back in Card Capital, Ren felt a chill run up and down his spine. He gave the sensation a moment's serious consideration before brushing it off with a shrug. It probably wasn't going to kill him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed my dumb Kaiai! I'm kind of late to get on the Kaiai ship but I love these two too much to care
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


End file.
